


that's all

by poindextears



Series: Good Haven universe [4]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Birthdays, Bruh I don't know, Derek goes back to his old ways of softcore workplace harassment, Diners, Fluff, Future Fic, Good Haven Derek & Will, M/M, Married Life, New York City, Sequel, That sounds so much worse than it actually is, They're married now, Where are they now?, a few years later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26147227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poindextears/pseuds/poindextears
Summary: Rhonda’s Diner, Will’s newest place of work, is not Annie’s. It never will be. For starters, it’s in the heart of Manhattan, and Annie’s lies in his hometown a good eight hours north. Sure, Annie’s still functions— though the Annie’s Will remembers is a lot different than the one he’s visited many times since he moved to New York, it’s still, fundamentally, the same place.Rhonda’s is a newer addition to his life. He secured his job here four months ago, and it’s the most welcome familiarity he’s known since he moved here.Or: Will turns 29. (A very brief sequel tolove finds you.)
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Series: Good Haven universe [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582840
Comments: 13
Kudos: 112





	that's all

**Author's Note:**

> What's this? A return to the Good Haven-verse?  
> My friends: this little drabble will make very little sense if you haven't read [love finds you](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22089940/chapters/52718095), my Nursey/Dex time travel AU. In fact, this fic will be a MAJOR spoiler for that story if you haven't read it. Read at your own risk!  
> Anyway, (spoilers!!!) here's a glimpse into Will's life in New York.

_December 10th, 2024_

_(Day 1167 of forever)_

The diner is relatively quiet, when Will’s visitor walks in.

It’s the slow part of the lunch hour, and as he hears the door up front jingle to signal a new customer, he doesn’t look— at least not right away— up from washing the back of the bar. He has a few people sitting at the stools, some surfing through their phones, one old man reading the New York Times. It’ll get busier at suppertime, but he’ll be off by then.

For now, he stands behind the bar; he cleans and hunts for chores. He knows this existence, and considers himself to be decently good at it.

Rhonda’s Diner, Will’s newest place of work, is not Annie’s. It never will be. For starters, it’s in the heart of Manhattan, and Annie’s lies in his hometown a good eight hours north. Sure, Annie’s still functions— though the Annie’s Will remembers is a lot different than the one he’s visited many times since he moved to New York, it’s still, fundamentally, the same _place_.

Rhonda’s is a newer addition to his life. He’s worked a few serving jobs over the past couple of years, but felt a little overwhelmed in some restaurants, still finding his footing in this new world that has required so much adjustment. When he quit his first serving job, it was not his proudest moment. He lamented to Derek that he’d given up too easily, that he was being too sensitive, that he had to learn to adjust. Derek, as always, helped him see the better side. If it was overwhelming, there was no use forcing himself through it.

That’s been a lot of the past few years— jobs here and there, working when and where he can. He secured his place at Rhonda’s four months ago, and it’s the most welcome familiarity he’s known since he moved here.

Will is glad he’s finally finding his place, on the job front. Everything else settled a bit easier, especially once he and Derek got married. He’ll never be a _real_ New Yorker, exactly, but he’s starting to understand how New York works.

Three years here, he figures he would have had to get around to it eventually.

So Rhonda’s, though it isn’t Annie’s, is the next best thing. Will knows how to work a diner bar, a fact Rhonda, the owner, quickly learned when she brought him in for the early hiring process. He found himself with an apron on and a rag over his shoulder in no time.

The place is in a smaller building, to be sure, but there’s still a kitchen window and a series of booths and an attempt at retro that feels a little like a manufacturing of Will’s teenage years. They play music that reminds him of old times, and there’s even a jukebox, although it’s a lot newer than the one Kenny used to stick his favorite records in at Annie’s in an attempt to get him to sing along.

It’s funny, watching people try to simulate a culture you grew up in in the name of being vintage or retro. Will always has to remind himself not to talk too much about it to the wrong person.

The voice of the dining room’s newcomer takes him out of his little cleaning trance. “Hey, barkeep.” Familiar and sweet across the bar, it makes his chest flutter. “You busy?”

Will looks up, and there is Derek. This is, notably, very much _not_ the first time he and Derek have been on opposite sides of a diner bar. Their entire courtship, in fact, was based on that concept, a set of memories Will holds to this day. But this _is_ the first time, that Will can recall, that Derek has actually appeared at Rhonda’s, to visit him at work.

“Oh,” he says, gently, and smiles at him. “Hi, Der.”

Derek is dressed for the weather; he looks windblown and cold, but very beautiful. There’s a green beanie on his head, a warm jacket wrapped around him, and, if Will isn’t imagining things, at least a few snowflakes in his curly hair. “What’cha got cooking?” he asks, leaning his head into his hand.

It’s true that Derek is a pleasant surprise, while he’s working. He just isn’t quite sure exactly _why_ Derek is here right now; he is, after all, a man with a job. Will dries a plate with his rag and raises an eyebrow. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work, doctor?”

“ _Pfff_ ,” Derek laughs. “As if I wouldn’t take the afternoon off.”

Will warms, and smiles at him again, before he looks away to glance toward the kitchen window. There are a few orders ready, so he goes to grab them and bring them around. Derek lingers on the barstool he’s chosen to station himself on, and winks on Will’s way by.

It does make sense. Today is Will’s birthday. He’d be eighty-nine— but he’s twenty-nine, instead. It’s funny, and a bit surreal, to watch the old man at the bar read his paper and know that Will, if life had gone differently, would look a lot more like that right now than he does his current self.

“Hey,” Derek says, not quietly, as Will returns to the bar after serving the customers. “You’re pretty cute, barkeep. You wanna come back to my place after work?”

Will tries not to laugh, shooting Derek what he hopes is the evil eye. He _is_ supposed to be working.

“I’m serious.” Derek whistles a little. “Damn.”

Will knows full well that Derek is attracting the attention of the other people at the bar. He feels his ears burning. Three years here, and being loudly flirted with in public still flusters him. He isn’t _opposed_ to it, not in the slightest. He loves Derek. He just doesn’t know how to handle all his smoothness sometimes.

Derek keeps up this act for the next couple of minutes, as Will goes about his business. It’s only when Will spots Rhonda, across the room eyeing Derek, that he realizes she might intervene— and by the time he notices, she’s on approach, and it’s a little too late.

“Will,” she says, sidling up to the table. A heavyset woman with dark brown skin and short, curly gray hair, Rhonda is exactly the kind of boss Annie was. No nonsense, but the most kindhearted kind of lady you could meet. She stops by Derek’s stool and asks, very deliberately, “Is this young man bothering you?”

Will breaks— he laughs into his hand a little, and then shakes his head. “No, ma’am,” he replies, well aware that his whole face is on fire. “My apologies. This is my husband.”

As if on cue, Derek swivels around in his barstool and holds out his hand to shake Rhonda’s. “Derek Poindexter,” he says. “Pleased to meet you.”

“ _Ah_ ,” Rhonda replies, as she shakes his hand, with a smile and a knowing nod. “So _you’re_ the man Will goes on about.”

Will blushes _more_ , if that were possible, as he watches the satisfaction light up on Derek’s face. Who knew he’d be embarrassed by his own boss at work today?

“Guilty as charged,” Derek replies, and then winks across the bar. “This fine, strapping man has been stuck with me for three entire years, if you can believe it.”

“Oh, _gee_ , Der,” Will mumbles into his hand.

“I believe it,” Rhonda replies, with a nod.

“And did you know,” Derek adds, raising a finger like this is an important point in one of his lectures, “that today’s his birthday?”

“What?” Rhonda cries, raising both eyebrows and looking to Will for confirmation. He shrinks a little, then nods. “Will, why didn’t you tell me? I’d have let you have the day off—”

“No, it’s alright, Rhonda,” he replies, shaking his head in a hurry. “I was just glad to be able to be home for supper.”

“Well, happy birthday,” she says, “and why don’t you go home now? You’re off in fifteen minutes as it is.”

Will isn’t sure exactly how it happens, but by the combined power of Derek’s charm and Rhonda’s insistence he have a nice birthday evening, he _does_ get off work early. He meets Derek at the back door of the building, where he finds it’s flurrying, out in the cold afternoon. “Did you walk here?” he asks, joining hands with him.

“Well, I took a cab from my office.” Derek squeezes his hand. “You wanna walk home?”

They fall into step on the sidewalk, and Will surveys their surroundings. This city, even after three years of it, can be a little much at times— buildings tall as the sky, people everywhere, traffic like you’ve never seen. But Derek is his city boy; he always has been and always will be, and with him by his side, Will isn’t afraid anymore.

“Well, sure thing,” Will replies, finally, looking over at him. “I think we oughta walk. It’s a nice day.”

“Okay.” Derek lifts his hand to kiss it, and then says, “This is a bold definition of a nice day, but you’re lucky I love you.”

Of all the things to get used to, the best thing was holding his hand out in public.

“I love you, too,” Will replies. It’s flurrying, and the sun is sinking fast. The city is settling in for a long winter.

He’s actually grown to love the way the winter looks here.

This _was_ Derek’s city. But it’s his, too, now. _Theirs_ , maybe. Good Haven is home, but this is where they’re building their life.

“What do you want for dinner?” Derek asks, as they walk down the busy sidewalk.

Will tips his head up to the cloudy sky. “Whatever you do, my love.”

“Uh… not acceptable. It’s your birthday.”

“Well, I’m not _picky_ , Der.”

“I can’t play that game with you. Just tell me what you want.”

They bicker about dinner the whole way back to their apartment. It’s a robust, welcome feeling. They laugh together, and settle on something to eat eventually.

It’s easy to walk with him. To let his troubles, few as they are, fade into the snowy night.

Will could think of no better way to ring in his twenty-ninth year.

**Author's Note:**

> [Come hang out](https://sincerelyreidburke.tumblr.com) on tumblr, friends! With this, I will finally mark this series completed. I don't think I will entirely rule out the possibility of writing other drabbles in this universe, but this felt like a fitting cap on it until I get other ideas. Thank you for reading!


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